Pinnacle of Evolution
by Prince of a Thousand Birds
Summary: The coupling of an Ardat-Yakshi and an incredibly strong willed human leads to the pinnacle of humanity's evolution.  Jaidan Harper struggles against his heritage as he stands with the one man who will save the galaxy...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This story came to me a few days ago and would not leave my mind. Now that I am free for the summer, I should be able to focus a good portion of my attention on this story. I apologize in advance for any discrepancies against Canon Information. I have done the best research (Thank you Mass Effect Wiki) possible, but it is possible I might have made some mistakes. If you would be so kind to point those out I would be grateful.**

**Summary: The coupling of an Ardat-Yakshi and an incredibly strong willed human leads to the pinnacle of humanity's evolution. Jaidan Harper struggles against his heritage as he stands with the one man who will save the galaxy... **

**Pairings: Tali/OC…Shepard/? Will accept suggestions**

**Shepard: Spacer/War Hero/Paragade/Soldier/Default Appearance**

**Warnings: Character Death, Gore, and possible lemons…**

**Chapter 1**

_I was twenty-four years of age when I first met my father. Sometimes I wish I never had. For the first fifteen years of my life I was given everything by this mysterious beneficiary. I received the most luxurious accommodations, the best education, taught to control my biotics by an Asari, and even hand to hand combat by a Drell Assassin. I received everything from this obscure man I had never met. Everything changed on my fifteenth birthday. An event that would set me on the path towards a confrontation with the greatest threat ever faced by the galaxy – Lieutenant Commander Jaidan Harper_

Captain David Anderson looked over the files of his two ranking officers with interest. The first file was of a man he considered a son. Commander John Shepard had been born and raised on star ships with his mother Hannah Shepard. Anderson smiled as he thought of the fiery woman who had raised the Hero of Humanity. The Captain shook his head as he remembered the annoyance with which Shepard treated the title. Ever since winning the Star of Terra for his actions during the Skyllian Blitz, Shepard had been treated as something of a symbol for Humanity. The man had held the line when all others around him died horrific deaths at the hands of the Batarians. The legendary Captain shook his head once again; Shepard was now an N7 Operative with many battles behind him. Anderson briefly murmured a prayer to whatever gods were listening that Shepard's training and experience would strengthen the Commander for the trials that would be coming for the potential Spectre.

The battle-hardened Captain turned his attention to the next file on his desk. Lieutenant Commander Jaidan Harper was also an N7 graduate with a specialization in Biotics, but in terms of experience this twenty-three year old marine was the polar opposite of Shepard. The young man had never seen live combat as he had gone straight from the Marine Academy to the N7 Program. Harper would be third in command aboard the Normandy, yet Anderson felt uneasy with allowing such an inexperienced officer such responsibility. However the upper brass had made the decision despite his protests. It was not that he had anything against the young soldier, rather it was a decision based upon logic. Harper could not possibly have the experience necessary to lead effectively. Anderson would have preferred Alenko or Pressley to have taken the position of command, but quickly decided that he would place Harper with Shepard on most missions. Hopefully the kid would have the humility to learn from an experienced soldier.

Deciding to do a little research, Anderson pulled up a more in-depth file on Harper reserved for those with high-level clearance. He was surprised by the file. Apparently the kid was something of a genius as he had received a doctorate in physics, masters in engineering, and a bachelor's degree in genetics by his seventeenth birthday. The kid was also apparently one of the strongest biotics ever recorded by human monitors. According to the file, Harper had been capable of mid-level biotics even before receiving a prototype L4 Implant. Anderson nodded slightly; exceptional skills were to be expected if Harper had completed the N7 program at such an early age. Turning to Harper's psychological profile, Anderson really began to get interested,

_"Subject displays a mix of naivety and maturity not typically seen in humans his age. The subject has an almost idealistic view on love and relationships, yet also a ruthless view on how to dispose of enemies. The subject also displays symptoms of slight depression caused by circumstances in some of his earlier life. This is a deduction based upon the medical records that show no chemical imbalances in the brain. The subject displays some tendencies of young Asari. This is entirely reasonable considering…ERROR: ALPHA SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR THIS INFORMATION!_

Anderson's eyes widened slightly at the red error screen that flashed. Now this was interesting….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan Harper smiled slightly as he continued to run calculations on his omni-tool. The young man was wearing a casual t-shirt and pants as he moved smoothly between the equipment scattered about the laboratory of his spacious apartment. To the casual observer, the room was a mess with blinking systems haphazardly strewn about. To a more analytical eye, there was a method to the madness. Systems were placed together in an organized chaos that would optimize efficiency. Suddenly every system in the laboratory began to blink and beep with green lights.

"Hell yes!" Jaidan abruptly shouted as he examined the systems ecstatically, "Take that you damn Citadel Scholars!"

The young man quickly began to download all the information from the systems onto his omni-tool. This was the breakthrough humanity needed! A way to prove to the Citadel that humans were not just second rate! This discovery could change the very basis of space travel if he could learn to harness this knowledge!

The young man's musings were cut short as the virtual intelligence installed in his apartment suddenly blared to life,

"Lieutenant Commander Harper, there are two guests by the front door. They appear to be Alliance Military."

Jaidan nodded despite being momentarily startled and pulled his Edge VII pistol from the holster strapped to his thigh. Quickly checking the ammo, Jaidan moved towards the door to his apartment. One could never be too careful when developing new technology. There were always ruthless groups out there that might want to kill him and steal the knowledge. Looking at the terminal located next to the door, Jaidan was surprised to see the profile of his two guests. _"What in a Krogan's four balls are Captain David Anderson and Commander John Shepard doing outside my door?" _Jaidan thought in confusion, _"Please whatever gods might be listening don't let them be here to kill me! I might be able to take the Captain out, but the Hero of Humanity? Yeah right…"_

The young Lieutenant Commander sighed as he holstered his pistol and opened the door. If he was dead then he was dead…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Commander John Shepard had been surprised that morning when Captain David Anderson had shown up at his door. The two men had served together several times, but John always felt a sense of nervousness around the man. Considering the death of John's father when he was just five years old, Anderson was the closest thing to a father figure he had in his life and the twenty-nine year old soldier wanted to make the Legendary Captain proud.

When Anderson had mentioned him serving as the Executive Officer aboard an experimental frigate, John had been quite pleased. Looking over the files of the men and women he would be serving with as they took a taxi to Jaidan Harper's apartment, Shepard recognized some of the best and brightest humanity had to offer.

As he looked over the file of Jaidan Harper, Shepard was surprised to see that the young man had also graduated from the N7 program. It was rare for joint operations among humanity's special operatives. Typically they worked alone or with crews of regular marines. That two of them would be working together along with David Anderson was odd to say the least.

"What's going on here, Captain? I understand this being a new frigate, but why us? I can understand you and me working together, but adding another N7 Operative? Something does not add up."

"I wish I could tell you Shepard, but suffice to say it is classified. You will be debriefed once the Normandy has launched I promise you."

"Understood, sir."

The two men exited the cab and Shepard gave an appraising glance as they walked through the building. This building was a Special Operative's paradise with plenty of areas to take cover. Then there was the Asari maid he saw exiting one of the rooms. _"Lucky guy," _Shepard thought briefly.

The two soldiers soon reached the door to Harper's apartment. Shepard was about to press the doorbell before Anderson stopped him,

"There are a few things you need to know about Harper, Shepard."

"Yes, sir?"

"First of all as I am sure you saw from his file, the kid is as green as a Batarian's shit. I want you to take him under your wing. He could learn a lot from you."

Shepard nodded and continued listening,

"Secondly, what I am about to tell you is highly classified. I had to break out some favors to find this information. This is strictly off the books."

"Understood, Captain."

"Harper's father is unknown; however his mother was an Asari."

John's eyes widened briefly in confusion. According to his knowledge, the uni-gendered Asari only gave birth to another of their race despite whoever they mated with. Anderson must have noticed his confusion as he began to explain,

"It is the Alliance's belief that Harper's father was so strong-willed that his genetics overrode the genetics in the Asari's body. This likely means he will live longer than most humans as well as having access to an Asari's mind-melding abilities. Some of our scientists have also speculated that if he mated with another species, that species would give birth to a human."

"Damn."

"Agreed."

The two men's conversation was cut short as the door in front of them hissed open to a reveal the lithe muscular form of Jaidan Harper. Shepard quickly took in the young man's odd red hair color and spiky crew cut as well as the expensive pistol strapped to his thigh. Shepard immediately noticed the tenseness with which Harper held himself. The young man was obviously expecting an attack for some reason.

"Hello, so what brings two of Humanity's legends to my humble apartment?"

"We are here to give you your next orders," Anderson spoke in a solid tone, "You are being give a position on the experimental frigate SSV Normandy. You will be third in the chain of command behind Commander Shepard and ultimately me."

Shepard watched in interest as the young man relaxed his stance and his eyes widened in surprise. The words that came from Harper's mouth were both surprisingly young and intelligent,

"I would be honored to accept this post, but surely there are others far more experienced and better trained than I?"

"You were handpicked for this mission, Lieutenant Commander," Anderson replied in a reassuring voice, "After looking at your profile, I have faith you will perform admirably. You are to report to Arcturus Station within forty-eight hundred hours."

"Understood, sir, but surely you did not travel all the way to my apartment here on Earth just to tell me to report somewhere?"

"You are correct, Lieutenant Commander. I typically prefer to familiarize myself with the officer's under me so as to foster friendship. So I was wondering if you would care to join the Commander and I for a few rounds of drinks?

"Absolutely, Captain!" Jaidan responded ecstatically, "Give me just a minute to download some of my calculations onto my omni-tool. I was working on a theory that might change the very nature of space travel and I just recently had a break-through."

John Shepard felt himself grow intrigued by the young man's enthusiasm so he asked,

"What is your theory?"

"Well it is all long and technical, but essentially it postulates that there is a region known as subspace through which a ship might possibly enter and exit. It would allow a ship to jump from spot in the galaxy to another without using a Mass Relay! I have the calculations that prove the theory, now I just need to find an engineer savvy enough to help me build the ship required!"

"So why are you an N7 Operative as opposed to a Scientist again?"

"Well you see it started with a bastard of a Turian named Sadori….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan Harper smiled slightly as he stared out the window near the cockpit. The metallic sheen of his N1 Commando Armor gave of an aura of regality as he observed Jeff "Joker" Moreau's deft navigation of the Normandy. The young N7 Operative was currently the ranking officer on deck and he was going to make certain that he made Shepard and Anderson proud. The two heroes had quickly grown on the young man. Shepard carried himself with a cold intelligence yet also a charismatic personality while Anderson gave off the aura of a wise but powerful warrior.

"The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence," the voice of Joker droned as his hands ran over the controls before him, "We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination."

Jaidan briefly ran the calculations in his head and smiled when he saw his answer match that of the Normandy's. It was an old habit, trying to beat computers in calculating speed. Stupid things. Never trust a machine with something a human could do. Jaidan smirked slightly as he thought of the vintage Terminator movies. The instant any VI was named Skynet was the day he quit the Alliance. The biotic's thoughts were interrupted as Joker continued his status updates,

"The Relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit."

Jaidan's concentration was briefly broken as both the Turian Spectre Nihlus and Commander Shepard walked up behind him. Jaidan nodded towards the two males and turned his attention back to Joker. _"Here it comes," _Jaidan thought in anticipation. He always loved the feeling of traveling through a Mass Relay.

"The board is green. Approach run has begun. Hitting the relay in three…two…one…"

Jaidan held his breath and the Normandy shot forward.

Xxxxxxxxx

Joker was irritated. It happened every now and then of course, but he was irritated. First the Captain responds in a pissed off voice and then the great Commander Shepard tells him and Alenko to shape up and act like soldiers. _"Please, with those two hard-asses we will never get any fun."_

"Don't worry, Joker. They are just tense. The mission is getting to them."

The pilot sighed as he heard the voice of Lieutenant Commander Harper. Harper had been a good friend over the past few years. Despite serving in different sections of the Alliance military, the two men had met in of all places the library at Arcturus station several years ago. The two men had quickly hit it off despite their differences. Harper was never condescending despite knowing about his Volik's Syndrome. It was refreshing to have a friend that did not treat him like an invalid.

"The Lieutenant Commander is right," a new voice spoke up, "Normally the Commander and the Captain are usual in a good mood."

"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine, Alenko!" Joker responded in a sarcastic voice, "Your optimism makes me shout for joy."

The pilot smirked as he heard Jaidan let out a short bark of laughter. Hopefully the Lieutenant Commander would be able to get the stick out of Anderson's and Shepard's asses.

Suddenly the SSV Normandy began to receive a transmission.

"EVAC! WE NEED EVAC! THEY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan grimaced as he fell in behind Shepard, Alenko, and Jenkins. The young N7 Operative relaxed as the weight of his Edge VII pistol rested in his right hand while his Storm shotgun rested on the back of his waist. He had managed to buy some modifications for the weapons before he left Earth. The weapons and his considerable biotic power would hopefully be enough to take out any hostiles he engaged on this damnable planet.

The young biotic had always preferred assassination or infiltration simulations back in N7 training, but he still had the skills necessary to engage in open combat. Jaidan prayed that it would be enough.

Jaidan stopped as he saw Shepard hold up a hand signaling them to hold position. The Commander looked around briefly before signaling again to move forward. Jaidan watched in horror as the over-eager Jenkins moved out of formation and was suddenly gunned down by two drones.

Training taking over, the young soldier dropped and rolled to his left where he took cover behind a ruined pillar. Jaidan watched as Shepard quickly downed the first drone and felt anger enter his heart. Damn these machines for taking Jenkin's life. The guy was younger than he was!

Deciding to not let the soldier's death be in vain, Jaidan leaned out of cover and expertly let out a series of shots that quickly downed the drone. It was over.

The remaining three men moved over to Jenkin's body and Jaidan felt bile rise in his throat at the horrified expression frozen on Jenkin's dead face. Kaidan Alenko bent down and closed the man's eyes while saying,

"Ripped right through his shields. He never had a chance."  
>"We will make sure he receives a proper burial later, but I need you two to stay focused," Shepard spoke softly before turning his gaze to Jaidan, "By the way Jaidan, good work taking out that second drone. Now move out!"<p>

Jaidan nodded at Commander Shepard's words and once again fell in behind the Hero of Humanity. The young man was slightly shaken, but knew he would have time to recover later. Now it was time to kill these damn machines.

The three soldiers quickly moved through the planet, efficiently taking down what machines they came into contact with. Soon they reached a hill. Jaidan quickly made out the form of an Alliance Marine running from two of the machines. The young warrior quickly activated his biotics and decapitated the machine with a blade of biotic energy. Unlike most biotics, Jaidan was not limited to telekinesis or barriers. The young man could form solid constructs of biotic energy as well as use his biotics to enhance his physical abilities.

Jaidan moved to take out the other machine, but stopped when he realized Shepard had already riddled the construct with bullets. _"Damn!" _Jaidan thought with an impressed look, _"I see why Shepard survived Elysium. He's fast and efficient." _The biotic's thoughts were interrupted as the female Marine they had saved spoke to Shepard,

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the two-twelve; are you in charge here, sir?"

Shepard nodded and quickly spoke,

"I'm Commander John Shepard. This is Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko and Lieutenant Commander Jaidan Harper. I need a status report, Williams."

"My squad was ambushed. I am the only one who made it out alive. These machines started attacking shortly after the archaeologists uncovered that beacon. They came out of nowhere."

"What type of enemy are we facing?" Alenko spoke up.

"I think they are Geth, sir."

"The Geth have not been seen outside the Perseus Veil in over three hundred years," Jaidan said deep in thought, "They must be after the Prothean beacon."  
>"Those are my thoughts as well, LC."<p>

"Are you fit for duty, Williams?" Shepard asked.

"Ready and able, sir. It is time for payback."

"Then move out!"

The four soldiers quickly fell into a basic formation with Shepard taking point and Jaidan bringing up the rear. The young soldier stole a brief glance at the Gunnery Chief's ass before shaking his head. _"Keep your mind on the task at hand, Harper!" _Jaidan berated himself, _"You have only got yourself to blame for still being a virgin. Should have taken that Asari up on her offer three years ago. Dammit!"_

The young biotic rolled to the side as bullets peppered the area where he had been standing. Jaidan did not have much trust in shields. Sure, they were useful, but depending on them was like depending on a Batarian. It got you killed.

Jaidan gave an appreciative glance at the way Ashley expertly gunned down a Geth and nodded before lifting up one of the Geth and slamming the body into the ground. The biotic smirked as readings blurred across the HUD of his Kuwashi Visor. That Geth had slammed into the ground with a force of fourteen hundred Newtons. One of the most powerful slams he had ever produced.

"Damn, Lieutenant Commander. That was impressive," Alenko let out a slow whistle as he quickly gunned down another Geth.

"Thanks, LT!" Jaidan yelled as he ducked into cover. Several Geth drones had appeared and were riddling the area with bullets. Jaidan watched in awe as Commander Shepard suddenly leaned out of cover and gunned down four of the Geth in five seconds.

"Alenko! Do a technical scan of the area," Shepard barked out the order and Kaidan quickly complied.

"We've got a pocket of energy readings about a mile due north of here, Commander. Looks like they are heading towards Nihlus's location."

"Fuck!" Shepard cursed, "Let's double time it people. I don't want the death of a Spectre on my hands!"

"Spectre?" Williams suddenly asked in confusion.

"Debrief her as we run, Harper. Now move!" Shepard barked.

"Yes, sir."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shepard grimaced as he observed the dead body of Nihlus. This was not good at all. Two men dead already. No, this was not good at all. Shepard turned his attention back to his squad. They were performing admirably. Alenko's technical and biotic skills were a valuable asset and had allowed the team to avoid areas of heavy resistance. Williams' skills as a marine was also impressive. Shepard had not expected a grunt marine to possess the skills of a highly trained operative. And then there was Harper.

Despite this being his first live combat experience, the young biotic had performed with all the skill of an N7 Operative. He had made next to no mistakes and his biotics were incredibly impressive; allowing him to take down multiple hostiles in seconds. The young man meshed perfectly with the squad's fighting style. Shepard had not expected to be impressed by the overeager and scholarly man, but the redheaded biotic had performed above admirably. Shepard's thoughts were interrupted as a couple of boxes shifted to his right,

"Come out! Now!"

The four soldiers quickly pointed their weapons towards the dock-worker who appeared. The man appeared incredibly nervous and quickly began to speak,

"Alliance soldiers! Thank God!"

"What were you doing back there," Shepard let out a harsh growl.

"Um…well…I was napping…and then when the machines came I hid. I watched as that other Turian killed his friend…"

"Other Turian?" Alenko spoke in confusion.

"Yeah, that dead Turian called him Saren."

Shepard was suddenly surprised when Harper let out an angry growl and lunged at the dock-worker. Holding his pistol against the dock-worker's head, Harper harshly asked,

"Which way did Saren go?"

"He said he was heading towards the cargo area! Please…please don't kill me!"

"Harper!" Shepard yelled in a voice that brooked no argument, "Stand down."

Harper looked at Shepard in an irritated glance but let go of the dock-worker,

"Sorry, Commander. Saren and I have a history."  
>"Understood, but do not let it affect the mission," Shepard nodded and motioned for them to move out. He would have to ask Harper what he meant later. Shepard turned to the dock-worker and said, "Get to someplace safe. We will take your testimony later."<p>

The four soldiers quickly made their way towards the cargo area, gunning down the Geth that stood between them and their objective. Soon they had reached the beacon.

"Wow," Ashley let out as she observed the glowing lights coming from the beacon, "It was not doing anything like that when they dug it up…"

"Saren must have done something to it," Harper growled, "He always does something."  
>"What's the deal with you and Saren?" Alenko spoke up as Shepard began to call for a pickup.<p>

"Aside from the fact that he has tried to kill me no less than seven times? Well…there are a lot of reasons…"

Harper's voice trailed off as Ashley, who had been moving towards the beacon, was suddenly caught in an almost tractor beam. Of the three men, only Shepard was quick enough to react.

Running quickly, the man grabbed the Gunnery Chief and threw her to side as he was captured in the tractor beam. Visions danced before Shepard's eyes as he was raised into the air. And then the beacon exploded, sending Shepard hurtling towards the ground.

"Normandy, this is Harper. We need a medic ASAP!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Look at the size of that thing!" Williams let out in an excited voice as she saw the Destiny Ascension for the first time.

"Well size isn't everything; you need firepower too."

"Why so touchy Joker?" Williams laughed.

"Joker has always had to overcompensate for his small genitals," a new voice broke in.

"And you know this how, LC?"

"…."

"Jaidan, you just got burned…badly."

Williams, Joker, and Alenko let out a laugh at the look on their Lieutenant Commander's face.

"Whatever…"

Their revelry was broken as Commander Shepard walked up behind the laughing soldiers,

"Williams! Alenko! Harper! Suit up! The Captain wants the ground team to meet with Ambassador Udina."

"Aye aye!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's Note: Well I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Depending on the reviews I will decide whether or not I want to continue this. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for Shepard's pairing I would be grateful. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews and alert adds! It really inspired me to keep writing! Also just a note, I received a review stating that Lieutenant Commander's are generally referred to as just Commanders. However because it would be awkward to have two Commanders; I will differentiate between the Shepard and Harper by naming Harper Lieutenant Commander.**

**Also, please note that I have decided on Liara for Shepard's pairing, however it will be more a side pairing as opposed to something that receives a lot of focus.**

**Warnings: Spoilers, Character Death, language, and possible lemons…**

**Chapter 2**

_Saren Arterius. The very name stirs a primal hatred within me. I was fifteen when I first encountered the damn Turian. He would attempt to kill me no less than seven times over the next eight years. When I first met the Turian, he went by the name Sadori and was supposedly a former Blue Suns Mercenary. He had been hired to train me in the usage of assault rifles. The bastard destroyed my life two days after he had been hired. Two days and all my friends and teachers were slaughtered by the Spectre. I barely survived the explosion that destroyed the compound. I ran for miles in search of help...only to be picked up by a squad of Alliance Marines. Their armor was what I noticed first. It was the hatred that inspired me to join the military when I turned eighteen three years later. I will never forget how he stole my life from me. And I will never forgive him… - Lieutenant Commander Jaidan Shepard_

"This is an outrage! The Council would step in if the Geth attacked a Turian colony!"

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams sniffed slightly at the raised voice of the Human Ambassador. She hated politicians. It did not matter what views they held, they were all slimy opportunists. The young woman turned her attention to the four men standing beside her. She never would have imagined serving with legends such as Captain Anderson or Commander Shepard. Never mind the fact that the latter would have such a fine ass.

_"Bad Ashley!" _the Gunnery Chief berated herself. In an attempt to quell the rising blush that threatened to suffuse her cheeks, Ashley turned her attention to the two other men standing next to her. Kaidan Alenko and Jaidan Harper had surprised Ashley with their biotic skills. Despite serving in the Alliance military for over seven years, the young woman had not fought alongside many biotics. It was astonishing what the two men were capable. Ashley had been especially impressed with the Lieutenant Commander's biotics. That slam had been awe inspiring. The young red head was also kind of cute in a geeky sort of way. _"Bad bad Ashley," _the woman shook her head again, _"Lusting after superior officers…this is what you get for not having a lay in over a year. Damn hormones!"_

"Everything okay Gunnery Chief," Jaidan interrupted her thoughts, "Your face is kind of red."

"Sorry, sir. I just really hate the fact that the Council is just going to let the deaths of my squad be in vain," and she meant it. The fact that it covered up her true reason for blushing was just a coincidence.

"Don't worry, Gunnery Chief," Shepard spoke up, "We will make damn certain their deaths are not in vain."

"Settle down, Commander," another voice cut in, "You've already done enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed. "

_"And there goes another politician with all the altruism of a serial killer," _Ashley thought irritably, "_Damn this Ambassador is getting on my nerves."_

"That's Saren's fault, not the Commander's," Anderson suddenly cut in.

"Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep Shepard out of the Spectres," Udina paused for a moment before turning to Anderson, "Come with me Captain. There are a few things I want to go over with before the hearing. Shepard! You and the others can meet us as the Citadel Tower. Top level…I will make certain you have the clearance to get in."

The Captain and Ambassador quickly strode out of the room, leaving the marines in the office. Ashley sighed for a moment before saying,

"And that's why I hate politicians."

"You know," Jaidan suddenly spoke in a mischievous voice, "Udina just left us completely alone in his office. I bet I could hack into his terminal and maybe reroute his paycheck to a charity…say a round of drinks for the crew of the Normandy?"  
>Ashley quick hid a smile and noticed Kaidan do the same as Shepard turned on Harper with a smirk on his face,<p>

"You've been around Joker way too long, Harper. C'mon soldiers, let's get to the Citadel Tower."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan was amazed as he looked out the window of the cab. The Presidium had been beautiful, but the view as he looked out the window was absolutely stunning. The Protheans must have been architectural geniuses to have created something so beautiful. _"Gah!" _The young man thought irritably, _"I sound like a wuss. Shouldn't N7 training have knocked out all cultural appreciation from my head? Whatever…maybe I should talk to the hot Asari piloting this cab…nah…I don't want to seem like a pig…like Kaidan who is currently drooling over her cleavage. Funny, I would have thought him to be more of an ass-man. Well technically the guy is an ass himself, but I digress."_

"Credit for your thoughts, Harper? You have a look of amusement on your face," Shepard suddenly spoke up. Jaidan smirked and decided to have some fun,

"I was just wondering if Lieutenant Alenko was an ass or tits man."

Kaidan began to sputter in confusion as Ashley smacked Jaidan over the head who then let out an unmanly yelp. Shepard suddenly began to laugh as the spectacle further digressed when the Asari piloting the cab said,

"From the looks he has been giving me, I'd definitely say a tits man."

Kaidan finally managed to get past his sputtering and said in a small voice,

"Breasts definitely."

"Gah!" Ashley let out a frustrated yell, "I'm surrounded by pigs!"

The remaining members of the cab began to laugh even harder.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shepard smirked as the taxi flew away. Harper was certainly helpful in bonding the team. The first step towards becoming a good leader was learning what it meant to have camaraderie with your troops. To be able to know that these men and women under your command were people, not pawns, was essential to being a true Commander. Shepard could tell that Harper instinctively grasped that lesson. Good, now came the hard part. The Commander turned to the three marines and sighed before saying,

"Alenko, Williams, I want you two to speak with the C-Sec Operatives about what they have found. Harper, you are going to come with me."

Alenko and Williams nodded and began to walk towards the two Turians who were standing a short distance away. Harper moved towards Shepard with a calculating look in his eye,

"What did you want to talk to me about, Commander? If it is about what I said in the cab I apologize. It was somewhat vulgar."

_"Perception to know I had an ulterior motive despite his naïve nature and humility despite his skills. I can work with this," _Shepard thought briefly. The Commander relaxed his face and said,

"Actually I was going to say good job on helping bond Alenko and Williams. The two are somewhat different and I was worried they might not mesh well."

"Oh," Jaidan said in confusion as he used his right hand to scratch the back of his head nervously, "Thanks I guess."

_"Not used to receiving praise it seems. Probably never received positive reinforcement in his youth. Even when he was talking about Sadori he never mentioned family, only friends. Interesting," _ Shepard mentally shook his head. Enough psychoanalyzing. Time to give the kid some advice,

"Jaidan, you are a ranking officer aboard the Normandy. That means you are going to have to take command in some pretty dangerous situations if Eden Prime is any indication. And if not aboard the Normandy, you will find yourself in that situation regardless one day. You have the potential to be a great leader and I aim to see that potential realized. Which is why I am going to give some advice; don't get too close to those under your command. As a leader you will have to choose between who will live and who will die. It is dangerous to be too close to those under you."

The young man had gone eerily silent as he regarded Shepard's advice. He remained quiet for a few seconds longer before saying,

"So grow close enough to foster loyalty and efficiency, but not to the point that you lose sight of the objective. A balance between Nicolo Machiavelli and Sir Thomas More then?"

"I am familiar with Machiavelli. He wrote "The Prince," but I have not heard of More. I take it that he was the opposite of Machiavelli? If so then I suppose a balance between the two would be precisely what makes a good leader. Essentially," Shepard paused at this as if searching for the right words, "the best leaders are Paragades, a mix between a paragon of virtue and a renegade of ruthlessness. Doing what is ethical when you can; but when the shit hits the fan, do whatever it takes to win."

Shepard watched in interest as thoughts played across the young soldier's face. He would make a horrible politician, but a good leader; Shepard was certain of it.

"I will think on what you have said, Commander. Thank you for your advice. You reached the N7 rank for a reason other than killing after all," Jaidan smiled. Shepard let out a low chuckle and replied,

"You will get there eventually and you are welcome. Now let us go speak with the Council. I have a feeling that this will be unpleasant."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan gritted his teeth in anger as the squad made its way to Chora's Den to talk to Harkin. Seeing Saren again had brought up memories best forgotten. _"Ever since my fifteenth birthday that damn Turian has been trying to kill me for no reason other than my being the offspring of an Asari. One of these days I am going to kill the bastard and then she will be avenged….I promise you Lillian, I will kill that bastard," _Jaidan shook his head. He had not thought about her in a long time.

"I guess you are just as angry as I am about the Council's stonewalling," Williams broke into his thoughts, "We will make Saren pay…one way or another, Jaidan, we will."

"Yes," Jaidan grimaced, "We will."

The conversation was interrupted as bullets impacted on the four soldiers' shields.

"Dammit, looks like Saren's men," Alenko yelled as he took cover behind one of the small walls.

Jaidan growled as he observed three Turians with assault rifles. Yes, they were definitely Saren's men if the face paint was any indication. Soldiers who served under Saren all had that same face paint. Fuck it! Summoning a massive amount of biotic energy, Jaidan flung all three soldiers off the bridge and smirked as the Turians fell to the bottom of the Citadel Wards, screaming in fear.

"That was cold, Lieutenant Commander," Alenko spoke up.

"But also efficient," Shepard cut in, "Good work, Harper."

"Thank you, Commander."

The marines quickly entered Chora's Den and Jaidan felt his body react at the sight of the scantily clad women dancing throughout the bar. _"Thank goodness my armor hides my reaction. That would be most embarrassing," _Jaidan thought with a slight blush.

Shepard quickly moved through the crowd, asking for Harkin's location. Soon they arrived at the table of the most pathetic human Jaidan had had the displeasure of meeting.

"Wwwhattt cannn I doo for the famous C-commander Sssshepard?" Harkin slurred.

Jaidan watched in interest as a harsh glint entered Shepard's eye. The Commander grabbed Harkin and brought him to his feet.

"You are a disgrace to humanity," Shepard slowly enunciated, "I would be doing the galaxy a favor by killing you right now; unfortunately I need some information. Tell me how I can get some dirt on Saren Arterius."

The man's eyes suddenly changed from drunk to frightened and Jaidan realized that the man had been acting. Bastard…

"A-a-lright! Please don't kill me! You need to talk to Garrus, a Turian C-Sec Agent. He found something. I think he is near Dr. Michel's office here in the wards. Oh god! Please don't kill me!"

"You will live…for now. You might want to change your pants though."

With that Shepard dropped the man back into his seat and turned to his squad. Jaidan felt an odd sense of admiration for Shepard's methods. Harsh, brutal, and completely effective. Nice.

"Let's get to Dr. Michel's office."

The four marines quickly made their way to the exit, but stopped when the Commander held up his hand and turned around. The Commander turned to Jaidan and said,

"I've got a feeling that we will be back here soon. If not for Harkin then for drinks with this Garrus. I want you to talk to some of the locals here. Scout the place out."

"Understood Commander. I will begin immediately," Jaidan responded in a slightly irritated tone. He wanted some action damn it! Shepard must have noticed his tone before pulling out a credit chit and saying,

"Treat yourself to a drink and think of it as interpersonal training."

Jaidan smirked, realizing he was being manipulated but, hey, free drinks.

"Aye aye, Commander."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Urdnot Wrex grunted in irritation as he moved away from the Krogan bouncer protecting Fist. This was the extent of the Krogan's glory. Security detail and if you were lucky you might get to punch someone. It made Wrex sick. _"This shithole almost makes me long for the Rachni Wars. Now that was glorious!"_

The ancient warrior slowly moved over to the bar. If Fist was not coming out for awhile, the least he could do would be to get a drink. Wrex quickly took his place by a squishy-looking human with red-hair and smirked as he heard the boy order,

"I'd like a shot of brandy if you would."

"Wimp," Wrex grunted quietly.

The human turned to him and for the first time Wrex noticed the N1 armor he was wearing. Ah a trained wimp. This could be interesting.

"Excuse me, I believe you just challenged me."

"That I did whelp. What are you going to do about it?"

The human smirked, or at least Wrex thought it was a smirk with human expressions being quite weird, and said,

"I think I will take you up on that challenge. Barkeep! Do you have any Balkan Vodka?"

The barkeep, another human, seemed startled before saying,

"Yeah I do, but it is expensive."

Wrex grunted and said,

"I will pay for it; I want to see what this squishy human can do!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shepard sighed as he gunned down the last of the mercenaries. It seemed he could not go anywhere without starting a firefight. In a way, it almost made him wished he could have brought Harper. The kid needed the combat experience, but Shepard knew he also needed to start developing contacts. Having contacts was a requirement for N7 Operatives if you wanted to complete your missions. Unlike the rest of the Alliance Military, N7 Operatives were given free reign over their missions. You were given a task and you completed it with optimal efficiency. Having contacts augmented that efficiency.

"Perfect timing, Shepard; you gave me a clear shot at that bastard."

Shepard turned to the Turian and nodded. Garrus was obviously more skilled than the regular C-Sec officer with the way he marked that head shot.

"You took him down clean. Dr. Michel, are you hurt?

"No," the doctor responded in a thick accent, "I'm okay thanks to you. All of you."

"What did those men want?" Alenko suddenly spoke up.

"They worked for Fist," the doctor responded, "They wanted me to shut up and not tell Garrus about the Quarian."

"What Quarian?" this time it was Ashley who spoke.

"A few days ago a Quarian came by my office. She had been shot, but would not tell me who had done it. I could tell she was scared and on the run from someone. She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to hide."

"Then what?"

"I put her in contact with Fist. He is an agent of the Shadow Broker."

"Not anymore," Garrus broke in, "Now he works for Saren and the Shadow Broker is not too happy about it."

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" Dr. Michel responded in a surprised voice, "That's stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer."

"That Quarian must have something Saren wants," Garrus said thoughtfully, "Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker over."

"Hmm," Shepard rubbed the fringes of his light goatee, "She must have something that proves Saren is a traitor. Did she mention anything about Saren or the Geth?"

"She did! She mentioned that it had something to do with the Geth."

Shepard quickly noticed the fire that awoke in Garrus's eyes. So this Turian was the overeager sort…lovely. Shepard's thoughts were interrupted as Garrus responded in an enthusiastic voice,

"She must be able to link Saren to Geth. There is no way the Council can ignore this!"

"Slow down Garrus. We need to find the Quarian first. Time we paid Fist a visit."

"This is your show Shepard, but I want to bring Saren down just as much as you do. I'm coming with you."

Shepard looked into Garrus's eyes for a brief moment before nodding and bring his hand up to his earpiece,

"Harper! Do you copy!"

"Aye Commander! And I've got a bit of a situation!" Shepard grew worried as a shotgun blast sounded through the earpiece, "Aw damn it Wrex! That was my kill!"

"I need a situation report, Harper!"  
>"Sorry Commander, I was just having a few drinks with this Krogan when suddenly all the bouncers come out guns-a-blazing and killing some bystanders. Well Wrex, the Krogan, has a contract for Fist's head so I figured I would help out since the damn guy killed some innocents."<p>

"Take down as many as you can, Harper; but when you reach Fist, find out the location of the Quarian he is setting up. She has information that could possibly implicate Saren for Eden Prime. Your first priority is achieving the Quarian's safety!"

"Understood, Commander! Harper out!"

Shepard turned to Alenko and Williams and noticed the worry in their eyes most likely mirrored the emotions in his own. Harper was skilled, but could he handle himself on his own?

"Let's double-time it people! I'm not abandoning one of our own!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"_Shit! Shit! Shit! They never covered bar firefights in basic or N7 training. Thank God I got a Krogan Battle Master on my side," _ Jaidan thought as he leaned out of cover and gunned down one of the Turian bouncers, _"Okay! Time to prove to this bloody Krogan I'm capable."_

Jumping out of cover with biotic power burning brightly in his left hand and Storm shotgun in his right, Jaidan activated his biotics to enhance his speed and the world slowed to a near stop. The young man had first discovered this ability one year ago during a particularly tiresome simulation during N7 training. Using his biotics, he could enhance his body's speed and processing power to the point that everything else moved in slow motion. It was an extremely tiring technique and always left him with the worst migraine this side of a hangover, but it was damned effective.

Easily dodging the bullets from the bouncers, Jaidan ran towards the two Krogan guarding the entrance to Fist's back area. Rolling beneath the bullets peppering where he had been standing several milliseconds ago, Jaidan bounced back to his feet a mere yard from the two Krogan. Pointing the shotgun at one of the Krogan's heads, Jaidan blew the alien's brain matter across the wall. Then, turning to his left, Jaidan rammed his left hand through the Krogan's armor and into the fleshy part of its body; and then ripped out its two inter-connected hearts.

"Okay," the biotic stared at the two hearts for a second before dropping them to the floor, "I'm never doing that again."

Turning his attention to the bar behind him, Jaidan noticed the majority of the bouncer's were dead from Wrex's killing spree. The remaining bouncer's were attempting to run, but could not escape before Jaidan snapped their necks with a flick of his wrist.

"Damn human!" a deep voice yelled out in surprise as the Krogan realized that several kills had been stolen from him., "I did not think you humans were capable of such biotics."

"I'm a special case," Jaidan replied with a sad grin. It had not been easy killing fellow humans. The young man felt his stomach begin to rebel, but pushed it down. He did not want to disappoint the Krogan, "Shall we take out Fist now?"

"Follow me human."

"Just let me talk to him before you kill him. My Commander needs some information from his sorry ass."

"Understood."

The two warriors entered the back offices and were surprised to see two cargo-workers aiming pistols at the N1 Commando and Krogan Battle Master. Jaidan nearly smirked when he saw one of the workers had not even flicked the safety off. He nearly laughed when the same worker yelled out in what was supposed to be a menacing voice,

"Stop or we will shoot!"

The young biotic quickly rose up his hand to stop Wrex from charging the idiots and said,

"I just killed two Krogan, five Turians, and seven humans. This Krogan beside me managed higher than that. What chance do you think you have against the both of us?"

"Aww shit! Fist does not pay us enough for this," the two workers lowered their weapons and walked out the door. Wrex looked at Jaidan and smirked,

"I would have killed them."

"Yeah, but think about it this way, they probably are going to get help for Fist which means we will have to fight our way back out."

"I like the way you think human."

"I figured you would. Now let's get to Fist."

The two warriors quickly entered the office and were surprised by machine gun turrets popping up beside Fist. Jaidan quickly rolled to his right and took cover behind one of the walls. He watched in awe as Wrex suddenly glowed blue and formed a singularity near Fist which caused the turrets to be ripped from their position and thrown haphazardly about the room. Fist attempted to fire his pistol, but the weapon was ruthlessly ripped from his grasp by Wrex's biotics.

"Damn," Jaidan said in awe.

"I could not let myself be shown up by some, pup," the Krogan grinned.

"You're not going to kill me! I will kill you Urdnot Wrex!"

Wrex looked in annoyance at the man who was charging him with a long bowie knife.

"Stupid human."

The powerful Krogan swatted the man to the side where he violently hit the wall. Jaidan picked up the knife and smirked at the bar owner,

"Hello Fist. You are going to tell me where the Quarian is or I start cutting off fingers."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would."

So saying, Jaidan froze the man with a biotic stasis and walked over to him. The N1 Commando sighed ever so slightly. He had never wanted to use the enhanced interrogation training given in N7 camp, but it seem he had no choice. Lifting up Fist's hand, Jaidan slowly began to saw through the bar owner's index finger. It was bloody. There was a lot of screaming. Jaidan felt a scar cross his soul. And Fist lost four fingers before he squealed the location.

"He's yours, Wrex. It was good serving with you," Jaidan turned to the Krogan with a sigh. That had not been easy.

"You too, pup. I hope to see you around. Now go save that Quarian."

Jaidan nodded and quickly rose his hand to his earpiece,

"Commander, I am transmitting the Quarian's location to you. The Quarian is in great danger."

"Affirmative. It seems you are still closer to the Quarian. Get to her coordinates ASAP."

"Understood, Commander."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tali cursed her environmental suit for the thousandth time as she felt her nose itch. Sometimes the worst part of the suit was not being able to scratch itches. The young Quarian female sighed as she tried to turn her attention elsewhere. Hopefully the Shadow Broker and Fist would be here soon with a way to get her to safety. _"Oh Keelah…I just had to get myself involved with some of the most dangerous people on the Citadel. I think my father would be proud at least," _the young Quarian sighed exasperatedly. Even when she had left for her pilgrimage, her father had barely said more than a couple sentences to her. Was it so hard to show the littlest bit of affection?

Tali's thoughts were interrupted as a Turian and four Salarians entered the alley she was positioned in. The Turian was obviously in charge according to his body language. Tali could not read his facial expression as well as his body language , but he seemed to be…leering? Tali felt her heart jump into her throat as she began to get paranoid.

"Did you bring it?" the Turian walked towards her.

"Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?" Keelah she was scared. What if these were Saren's men?

"They'll be here," the Turian said and began to stroke her mask. Tali shivered. This was getting very uncomfortable. The Turian's next words raised her paranoia even higher, "Where's the evidence?"

"No way," Tali said as she felt her heart hammer in her chest, "The deals off."

Tali's paranoia reached an all time high as she read an intention to attack in the Turian's and Salarians' posture. She was just about to attack when a knife pierced the Turians skull and he fell down dead. She looked to her left and was surprised as a grey-reddish blur rushed past her in a haze of blue energy. The grey-reddish blur quickly snapped one of the Salarian's neck. From there the blur slowed down and Tali could make out the form of a human male. The human pulled a shotgun from his back and blew the brain matter out of one of the Salarian's heads. The two remaining Salarians by this time had realized they were under attack and had pulled out their weapons. The weapons were violently ripped away in a blur of blue energy and the Salarians were quickly killed with a flick of the human's wrist.

Tali felt her heart hammer as the human turned to her. His face was grim for a moment before turning into the most brilliant smile she had ever seen. The young man spoke,

"My name is Lieutenant Commander Jaidan Harper, and I'm here to save you."

And Tali felt her heart flutter.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's Note: I apologize if that last line was over-the-top cheesy, but I could not resist. This will actually be the first story I am writing that has a romantic tilt, so I ask you to bear with me as I learn. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks once again for the reviews! Just a note of clarification; from my understanding N7 operatives start out as an N1 which is why I refer to Harper as that occasionally. It is my understanding that N7 would be the highest rank you could achieve in humanity's Special Forces.**

**On another note, I am going to be taking the Harper/Tali romance fairly slow. It will probably not be overt until I reach the events of Mass Effect 2 as I have an outline in my head that will lead to a good bit of tension for Harper. However there will be plenty of friendship fluff and flirtatiousness until we reach that point. So enjoy!**

**Warnings: Spoilers, Character death, gore, language, and possible lemons…**

**Chapter 3**

_To this day, Tali'Zorah is the most interesting alien I have ever met. She carries herself with a strong inner strength that one would not expect from such a bubbly personality. As I learn new things about her every day, I am fascinated by her joy over the simplest things. I do not understand these feelings that bubble in my chest when I am around her. For the moment, I will simply say that I am…intrigued- Lieutenant Commander Jaidan Harper_

Shepard drummed his fingers along his knee as he mentally encouraged the taxi to move faster. Harper had found himself in a tough situation; Shepard could only hope that the kid's training would be enough. At least the kid had an ally. That would increase his chances of survival even further especially since the ally was a Krogan.

"Don't worry, Commander," Alenko broke the silence, "Harper is a special operative. I am sure he has survived worse than this."

Shepard merely nodded, not bothering to tell the Lieutenant that Eden Prime had been Harper's first experience in live combat.

"This Harper," Garrus broke in, "Why did all of you leave him at Chora's Den?"

"I wanted him to develop some contacts," Shepard responded in a neutral voice that hid his frustration. Damn! Couldn't this taxi go any faster! Shepard's thoughts were interrupted as a voice broke in over his earpiece.

"Commander, I am transmitting the Quarian's location to you. The Quarian is in great danger."

Shepard let out a small sigh of relief at Harper's voice. It seemed the young man had survived despite being outgunned. That was good. Shepard did not know what he would do to the Council if he had lost another soldier. Looking through the coordinates Harper had sent, Shepard grunted.

"Affirmative. It seems you are still closer to the Quarian. Get to her coordinates ASAP!"

"Understood, Commander. Harper out."

"I'm surprised your soldier managed to get the location out of Fist," Garrus interjected, "Getting that guy to talk must have been like getting the Asari Councilwoman to spread her legs."

"Gah!" Ashley suddenly spoke up, "I hate males!"

"N7 Operatives are trained in enhanced interrogation techniques. It's not pretty, but I'm sure Harper did what was necessary to get the bastard to talk," Shepard responded to Garrus while ignoring Ashley's remark. The Turian looked oddly thoughtful before saying,

"Wish we were allowed to use such techniques in C-Sec, but you can't hold a gun to someone's head without cutting miles of red tape first."

"We're here," the cab driver spoke in a nervous voice. Shepard could tell the conversation between the soldiers had set the Turian driver on edge.

"Thanks, I will transfer the credits to your account…Done."

The soldiers exited the cab and quickly made their way towards the Quarian's coordinates. _"Hopefully," _Shepard thought privately, _"Harper has managed to secure the Quarian's safety."_

The battle-hardened Commander let out a brief sigh as he heard the rest of his squad running behind him. It would be interesting to have a Turian under his command. Garrus seemed like a level-headed officer even if he was a little overeager. Shepard continued to run as his thoughts turned to his other two squad-mates. Williams and Alenko had performed admirably when they were rescuing Dr. Michel. He would have to be certain to commend them the next time a debriefing was held.

The soldiers soon reached the back alley and Shepard was surprised to see five dead bodies. Harper had certainly performed above expectations. Shepard had expected the young N1 to still be in combat by the time they arrived. The Commander turned his attention from the dead bodies to the Quarian who was standing somewhat behind Harper, as if the young redhead would protect her from whatever dangers came here way. Interesting. Shepard's thoughts were broken as Harper let out a grim smile and said,

"Good to see you, Commander; next time, lets share the drinks. I almost got my ass blown off."

"Understood," Shepard responded with a brief smile, "I need a status report, Harper."

"Chora's Den is full of dead bodies including Fist's. I can't imagine Ambassador Udina will be too pleased with that, however Miss Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," at this Harper gestured to the Quarian by his side, "has some very interesting evidence regarding Saren."

"Would you be willing to give us this evidence, Miss Nar Rayya?" Shepard turned to the Quarian.

"Please, all of you can just call me Tali," the Quarian responded in a warbling feminine voice, "And yes, I will definitely help you. It is the least I can do after Lieutenant Commander here saved me. Perhaps we could go somewhere safer?"

"The Ambassador's office should be safe enough," Williams spoke up.

"Alright then, let's move out. On the way we can make introductions…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan Harper grimaced slightly as the scene from Chora's Den replayed in his head. It was the first time he had ever killed someone. To know that the men he killed had families somewhere; that realization running through his brain was jarring to say the least.

"Are you okay, Lieutenant Commander?" a warbling voice interrupted his thoughts. Jaidan turned slightly to his left to see Tali walking beside him. The silver glow of her eyes slightly unnerved him, but they were beautiful in an exotic sort of way.

"I'm fine; just a little shaken is all."

"Any particular reason?" the Quarian inquired. Jaidan sighed as he observed the Commander and his fellow marines walking a good distance in front of them. Weakness was something he could not show Alenko and Williams. As a commanding officer their faith in him should be absolute. Tali, however, was not a soldier under his command. Perhaps it would be okay to confide in the young Quarian…

"Today was the first time I killed something other than a machine. It's…difficult to know I am responsible for blinking out someone's existence."

Tali seemed startled for a moment before placing her hand on Jaidan's arm. The young Quarian was silent for a moment as if searching for words to say. Jaidan was surprised by the gesture. It had been awhile since he had received such a sign of physical support.

"If you had not killed them," Tali paused after a moment, "I would be dead. Thank you for bearing this burden so I might live."

"You are welcome," Jaidan responded in a slightly choked voice. He had joined the Alliance Military to build the skills that would allow him to gain revenge. Never had he thought about what it meant to be a soldier. For the first time, he realized what it meant to be an Alliance Marine. A soldier bore a terrible burden so others might live peacefully. It was an epiphany that lightened the young biotic's heart. There was a purpose behind what he had done today. Jaidan gestured towards the other members of the squad and said in a quiet voice, "It seems the rest are getting away from us. Perhaps we should join them."

"Of course, Lieutenant Commander."

"Tali, call me Jaidan," the biotic responded with a small smile.

"Very well, Jaidan," Tali paused as if testing the name.

The two quickly hastened their steps to catch up to the rest of the squad. Garrus shot them an odd glance before turning his attention to the office before him. The three marines and two aliens watched as Shepard entered his clearance number into the terminal. The door slid open and the squad was greeted with the angry face of Ambassador Udina and the solid stability of Captain Anderson.

"You're not making my life easy, Shepard. Firefights in the wards. Close to twenty-five people dead in what used to be Chora's Den. Do you know how many- a Quarian? What are you up to Shepard?"

"Making your day, Ambassador. She has information linking Saren to the Geth."

"Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning Miss…."

"Tali. My name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"We don't see many Quarians on the Citadel. Why did you leave the flotilla?"

"I was on my pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood."

"I've never heard of this pilgrimage before," Garrus spoke up.

"It is a tradition of the Quarian people," Jaidan responded to the Turian, "When the Quarians reach maturity, they leave the ships of their parents and people behind. Alone they search the stars until they find something of worth to the Quarian people. They then return to the flotilla and prove themselves worthy of adulthood."

"I am surprised you know so much about my people, Jaidan," Tali turned to the biotic, "It is not something that is generally known."

Jaidan began to scratch the back of his head nervously as he said,

"Well I had a Quarian as a tutor in Engineering for a few years so I learned quite a bit about your culture."

"While this is interesting," Udina interrupted, "This does not help us with Saren. What did you find?"

"During my travels I began hearing reports of Geth activity. Since they drove my people from our home world, the Geth have rarely been see outside the veil. I was curious. I tracked a patrol of Geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to get separated from its unity; then I disabled it and removed its memory core."

"I thought the Geth fried their memory core's when they are destroyed? Some kind of defense mechanism," Jaidan spoke up, "How did you manage to save the data?"

"My people created the Geth. If you are quick, careful and lucky small caches of data can sometimes be saved. Most of the core was wiped clean, but I salvaged something from its audio banks."

So saying, the young engineer activated her omni-tool and a gravelly voice began to play,

"Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"That's Saren's voice," Anderson spoke in excitement, "This proves he was involved in the attack!"

"He said Eden Prime brought him one step closer to finding the Conduit; any idea what that means?" Shepard rubbed his goatee in thought.

"The Conduit must have something to do with the beacon. Maybe it is some kind of Prothean technology like a weapon," Anderson mused.

"Wait," Tali spoke, "There is more. Saren was not working alone."

Tali pressed a few more buttons on an omni-tool and the voice continued,

"Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," a female voice cut in. Jaidan felt himself shiver at the ominous tone with which the voice spoke. He had a bad feeling in his gut. He turned his attention away from the feeling as Udina began to speak,

"I don't recognize that second voice. The one talking about the Reapers?"

"What are the Reapers?" Ashley asked in confusion.

"According to the memory core," Tali responded, "The Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed fifty-thousand years ago. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to extinction and then vanished; at least that is what the Geth believe."

"Sounds a little far-fetched," Udina skeptically replied.

"The vision on Eden Prime," Shepard broke his silence, "I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers."

"The Geth revere the Reapers as the pinnacle of non-organic life; and they believe Saren knows how to bring them back," Tali offered.

"The Council is just going to love this," Udina murmured.

"The Reapers are a threat to every known race in the galaxy," Shepard paused as if choosing his next words, "As much as I hate to admit it the Council needs to know about this."

"No matter what they think about the rest of this," Anderson spoke, "these audio banks prove Saren is responsible for Eden Prime."

"The Captain's right; we need to present this to the Council right away."

"What about Tali?" Jaidan spoke up.

"Let me come with you; I am a skilled engineer. I promise I can assist in some way."

Jaidan noticed a gleam in Shepard's eyes as the Commander turned to the Quarian. Shepard was planning something, Jaidan knew it. The Commander spoke suddenly,

"Harper, you met her first. I will let you make the decision."

Jaidan turned in surprise and looked at Shepard. The young biotic nearly punched the Commander when he saw the smirk on Shepard's face. "_Damn Commander…putting me on the spot like this."_

"You say you are an engineer?"

"Yes, I have been trained aboard star ships my entire life."

Jaidan looked at Tali deep in thought. There was a hopeful gleam in her eye. The young man wanted her to come along, but he did not know if that was the most logical decision. Fuck it.

"Welcome aboard then, Tali'Zorah."

"I won't let you down; I promise."

"Well now that that is settled," Udina cut in, "Shepard, I want you and your crew to be at the Citadel Tower in three hours."

"Understood."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tali smiled as she walked alongside Jaidan and Garrus. The Commander had sent the three of them to buy some new equipment while he and the rest of the squad dealt with Samesh Bhatia and the issue of his wife's remains. Tali had been horrified when she had learned that the military was keeping a body away from the family. It was practically sacrilegious. How could the body ever become one with the ancestors if it was not given the proper rites? It was sickening.

"Now it is you who seems troubled, Tali?" Jaidan spoke with concern.

"Sorry, Jaidan, it just made me really angry that they were keeping the body from the family."

"I can understand that. It made me a little furious as well. So Garrus, what made you join C-Sec?"

"Well you see my father was a C-Sec man as well….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shepard grimaced as he and his squad walked towards the Council platform. The twenty-nine year old Commander hated politicians. They were opportunists and nothing more. Shepard looked behind him and observed his squad. Tali, Garrus, and Harper had all bonded quite nicely while shopping. That was good. He would probably place the three of them together on most missions. Garrus had the long-mid range covered while Jaidan had mid-close range as well as biotics. Then there was Tali who would service as the tech. Their team would definitely focus more on infiltration as opposed to being a shock squad like Williams, Alenko, and himself. Shepard turned his attention to the Council as the evidence Tali had given played in the background,

"Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon had brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit…"

"…and one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

"You wanted proof, there it is," Udina pointed towards the Council.

"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to make him answer for his crimes," The Turian Councilor spoke.

"I recognize the other voice," the Asari Councilor looked at the Turian, "The voice is that of Matriarch Benezia."

"Who's she?" Shepard asked.

"Matriarchs are powerful Asari who have entered the last stage of their lives. Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors for my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic; and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren."

"I'm more interested in the Reapers," the Salarian Councilor finally broke his silence, "What do you know about them?"

"Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core," Anderson responded, "The Reapers were an advanced race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished."

Shepard noticed the Captain turn slightly to him took that as his cue to speak,

"The Geth revere the Reapers as gods and they believe Saren is the prophet for their return."

"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime."

"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" the Salarian Councilor asked.

"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers," Shepard shrugged slightly, "That's bad enough."

"Listen to what you are saying," the Turian Councilor spoke with a twitch of his mandibles, "Saren wants to bring back the race that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be. Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? Why have we found no trace of their existence? If they were real we would have found something."

"I tried to warn you about Saren and you refused to see the truth. Don't make the same mistake again," Shepard responded harshly.

"This is different," the Asari spoke, "You proved Saren betrayed the Council and that he is using Geth to find the Conduit, but we do not know why."

"The Reapers are obviously a myth, Commander; a convenient lie to cover Saren's true motive," the Salarian continued, "A legend to bend the Geth to his will."

"Fifty thousand years ago the Reapers wiped out all life in the galaxy. If Saren finds the Conduit it will happen again."

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his postion."

"That is not good enough! You know he is hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!" Udina yelled angrily.

"A fleet cannot track down one man," the Salarian sneered.

"A Citadel Fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the Geth from attacking anymore of our colonies!"

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems. We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies."

"Every time humanity asks for help you ignore us."

"Shepard's right! I'm sick of this Council and its anti-human bull-"

"Ambassador! There is another solution. A way to stop Saren that does not require fleets or armies."

"No!" the Turian Councilman waved his arm angrily, "It is too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibility that comes with joining the Spectres!"

"It was a Turian who betrayed the Council and a human who exposed him," Shepard pointed his finger at the Turian Councilor, "I've earned this!"

The three Councilors shared several looks before reaching a silent agreement. The Asari Councilor spoke,

"Commander Shepard, step forward."

Shepard looked briefly at Anderson who gave him an encouraging nod. Humanity needs this; Shepard could hear the unspoken words. _"I will make him proud. I will make everyone proud of the boy who used to spend his time hiding in the air ducts of dreadnoughts," _Shepard thought as he stepped forward with a smile. The Asari Councilor began to speak again,

"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all rights and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Branch of the Citadel."

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen," the Salarian Councilor continued, "Individuals who have proven themselves in the fire of combat and battle; they are those who have elevated themselves above the rank and file."

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol" the Asari cut in, "They are the embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will.  
>"Spectres bear a great burden," the Turian Councilor continued the speech, "They are protectors of galactic peace; both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."<p>

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great achievement for you and your species."

"I am honored, Councilor."

"We are sending you into the Traverse after Saren. He is a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use whatever means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"Understood, Councilors," Shepard smirked slightly. Finally the Council was willing to take steps to protect humanity.

"This meeting of Council is adjourned. Good luck, Commander."

Shepard nodded and turned to Udina and Anderson; the latter of which had the biggest smile John could ever remember seeing on the usually stoic Captain.

"Congratulations, Commander. You have made humanity proud."

"Thank you, Captain."

"We've got a lot of work to do, Commander," Udina cut in, "You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies; Anderson! Come with me! I will need your help to set all this up."

The two human men nodded towards Shepard and quickly hastened their steps. Shepard slowly turned his attention to his crew; Garrus was the first to speak,

"I expected your Councilor to be a little more grateful."

"He's a politician, what can you expect?"Jaidan shrugged, "So Commander, how does it feel to be the most badass human being in the Galaxy?"

"It feels…absolutely epic. Now come on, I want us to grab a round of drinks at the Flux until Udina and Anderson get everything worked out."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan smiled as he downed another glass of brandy. There was nothing quite like human alcohol to celebrate a victory. The young biotic turned his attention to the rest of his squad. It was an odd bunch to say the least. First there was Alenko; Jaidan still was not certain what he thought of the Lieutenant. The guy seemed like a wimp, yet his combat skills said otherwise. The man was currently drinking water. Jaidan shook his head and turned his attention to the Gunnery Chief. The woman was as blunt as a Krogan head butt, but Jaidan liked the marine. She was just the right amount of bitch to be a soldier, yet not to the point that she got on your nerves.

Then there were the two aliens. Garrus seemed like a decent guy for a Turian. The Turian was a little overeager and Jaidan sensed some daddy-issues, but the young biotic trusted it would not affect Garrus's combat skills. Thinking of which, Jaidan wondered what skills Tali might possess in combat. He had killed all of the hostiles back in that alley before she had a chance to react. The young biotic smirked, he was certain that he would be seeing the young Quarian in action before long. Hopefully she would have the skills to stay alive. _"Hmm, she said she was an engineer," _Jaidan thought as he tapped his fingers across the table to the beat of Flux's music, "_Perhaps she could assist me in creating a warp drive that could access sub-space? That would be most helpful." _

Jaidan smirked and turned his attention back to analyzing his squad mates. _"Is it odd that I feel the need to psychoanalyze people? Nah…I'm just weird period. Now what about Shepard? The guy is an excellent leader and he seems to want to mentor me. I've got no problem with that. I look forward to serving with him further."_

"So Harper," Garrus interrupted the young biotic's thoughts, "What do you think about this mission? Going off to the Traverse to save the galaxy from extinction? I bet they did not cover that in N7 training? They certainly didn't in C-Sec."

"Hah! Saren and whatever these Reaper's are better be scared shitless! They have never faced humans. You know, Garrus there is a saying back on Earth. Humans did not rise to prominence on Earth because we were the most intelligent or cultured; we rose to prominence because we were the craziest, most murderous motherfuckers in the jungle."

"That actually sounds like an apt description of the human race," Garrus replied with a smirk.

"What exactly is a motherfucker?" Tali asked in confusion, "I know the term mother, but what is a fucker?"

Jaidan burst out in laughter along with the rest of the squad. He looked to Ashley and said,

"I will let you have that conversation with her, Gunnery Chief."

"Gee, thanks Harper."

Suddenly Shepard's omni-tool began to blink. The squad looked to their Commander as he said,

"We are to report to the Normandy. Finish your drinks and suit up."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Urdnot Wrex smiled. It usually meant someone was dead, but this time it was because someone was alive. The ancient warrior observed the squad about to enter the elevator. Harper's Krant was strong it seemed, especially his Battle Master. Good, Wrex would have been disappointed if the powerful biotic served with weaklings. The Krogan Battle Master bellowed out, startling several of the C-Sec officers standing nearby,

"Harper!"  
>The young biotic turned his attention to the voice and smiled,<p>

"Wrex! Good to see you are still alive!"

"And you as well. I take it this is your Battle Master," the Krogan gestured towards Shepard.

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander Harper is a soldier under my command," Shepard broke in.

"Good, you smell of strength. It is my understanding that you are chasing after Saren? I would wish to join you in this quest."

"Why?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"I wish to see him dead. No other reason is necessary."

"Very well, we will bring you aboard Wrex."

"Good."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jaidan grimaced as he placed the last piece of his armor into his locker. Damn Udina for benching Captain Anderson. The Legend deserved so much better than that. The young man's thoughts were interrupted as Shepard's voice came over the intercom of the Normandy,

"This is Commander Shepard speaking. We have our orders; stop Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you crew, this mission is not going to be easy. For too long has our species stood apart from the others. It is time to show them what humanity is made of. Our enemy knows we are coming; when we go into the Traverse Saren will be waiting. I trust each and every one of you will do what is necessary to take him down. Crew, we are the Normandy and I want us to be the most dangerous thing Saren has ever faced. We will stop Saren and we will save the Galaxy. Shepard Out."

Jaidan smirked. No pep-talk like a military pep-talk.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's Note: I apologize since a lot of this chapter is from the game itself. Next chapter should have some more original content. Please review!**


End file.
